by Paul White, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul White, USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports counted down the 100 Names You Need to Know this upcoming season.

This is our yearly look at young players primed to make an impact during the upcoming big-league season. They aren't necessarily baseball's best prospects but rather the ones most likely to make a mark in 2013.

To qualify for our list, a player must have had more innings (for pitchers) or at-bats (for hitters) in the minor leagues in 2012 than he has had during all of his major league time. Players are ranked in order of their anticipated impact this season.

The final 20 names:

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1. Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles: It's not often a team has one of its top prospects change positions in midseason just to get him into its lineup for the stretch drive - especially a 20-year-old. But Machado did that and fit into the lineup and clubhouse of a playoff team like one of the veterans. He showed poise, maturity and the ability to adapt and adjust to what the opposition threw at him. He won't be going back to his natural shortstop anytime soon, but he's an impact player wherever he plays.

2. Wil Myers, OF, Rays: There's plenty of precedent for winning rookie of the year awards without starting the season in the majors - like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper last year. Myers, 22, is this year's leading candidate. Tampa Bay has enough experienced options to keep Myers in the minors and out of the right-field job right away, but it's unlikely they can live without Myers' total offensive package for long.

3. Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers: He can play in the majors - but when and where to fit him in is the immediate dilemma. Elvis Andrus is the shortstop. So barring a trade, Profar will be an everyday player in the minors rather than starting the season on the major league bench. But his speed, switch-hitting prowess and power that should increase as he fills out his lanky frame (he will be 20 on opening day) are too much to ignore for long.

4. Trevor Bauer, RHP, Indians: He gets more publicity for his unorthodox preparation, but Bauer, 22, is a potential ace with a full arsenal of swing-and-miss stuff. The Indians will tell you they're expecting Ubaldo Jimenez or Justin Masterson to emerge at the top of their rotation, but Bauer could snag a job out of spring training and be a revelation. He got a brief look with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year before the three-team trade that moved him to Cleveland, so his free agency clock is ticking.

5. Dan Straily, RHP, Athletics: Straily, 24, got remarkably better last year, and not just statistically. His pitches got sharper. They moved more. They were faster. That's why he projects to keep building on a season in which he led the minors in strikeouts when Oakland called him up. The A's have built up his innings over the last three years - from 148 to 160 to 191. He should be in the rotation this year and stacks up as at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter.

6. Tyler Skaggs, LHP Diamondbacks: A rotation spot is there for him this season, especially after fellow prospect Bauer was traded to Cleveland. He is 21 but has back-to-back seasons of more than 150 innings, so Arizona shouldn't have to be overly careful about his workload. His down-breaking curveball is his best pitch, and he's had a strong walk-strikeout rate through the minors. But that deteriorated during his debut in the majors last season. That's the one aspect that could delay his arrival.

7. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Mets: Matt Harvey got to the majors first, but Wheeler is on the verge of giving New York a 1-2 punch to build around. Wheeler, the prize in the 2011 trade of Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants, went through unhittable stretches at Class AA last season. With improved command making Wheeler more consistent, those stretches are becoming more prolonged. His sharp curve is the pitch that sets him apart from other prospects, and though he's likely to start the season at Class AAA, the wait won't be long.

8. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles: The jewel of the Baltimore system and arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball can help the Orioles this year. But it could mean some time in the bullpen, considering he pitched 105 innings in 2012, his first pro season, and the Orioles were excessively careful with his workload. Bundy could start in the bullpen, much as Kris Medlen did with the Atlanta Braves last year, and be in position to move into the rotation around midseason. He's a future ace with a full repertoire and one of the least stressful deliveries in the game.

9. Adam Eaton, OF, Diamondbacks: Eaton, 24, is the prototype of the "gritty" Diamondback that has become a buzzword as Arizona explains the Justin Upton trade. But it was the trade of Chris Young to Oakland that really opened the door for Eaton, who could be the leadoff hitter and play center field this season. He's a lefty hitter who's in motion almost before his bat is on the ball, helping compile his .355 batting average over five minor league levels in three seasons.

10. Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals: St. Louis management thinks Taveras, who is capable of handling all three outfield positions, can play in the majors now. Finding room for him is key, and the Cardinals aren't looking to force the issue right away. Taveras, 20, is in the conversation for best all-around hitter in the minors. It's dangerous to say, but if this organization has a chance of producing another Albert Pujols, this is the guy. He's not on the 40-man roster, which could affect spring decisions.

11. Chris Archer, RHP, Rays: There's seldom a gap in the Tampa Bay pitching pipeline. What the Rays don't develop themselves, they go out and get. Hard-throwing Archer, 24, was part of the haul from the Chicago Cubs for Matt Garza two offseasons ago. He's the swing-and-miss type the Rays covet, but he'll have to battle to snag a spot out of spring training in a rotation still loaded despite the trade of James Shields.

12. Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals: He's been the top pitching prospect in the St. Louis organization since he was taken in 2009's first round. He's 22 and looked plenty ready after a September call-up, even though he was used mostly in relief. He'll get a chance to crack the rotation, especially with Jaime Garcia's shoulder making him questionable to start the season, and the Cardinals would consider using his high-octane stuff in relief as opposed to more Class AAA starts.

13. A.J. Griffin, RHP, Athletics: Griffin is one of several pitchers whose polished performances were crucial to Oakland's surprising run to the American League West title. Not overpowering, but with a full complement of offspeed pitches, they throw strikes and aren't afraid to pitch to contact, especially in their home park. Griffin, 25, is exactly that, and it translated well to the majors, where he allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 15 starts.

14. Erasmo Ramirez, RHP, Mariners: He had three stints with the big club last year, the latter two as a starter. Stocky Ramirez showed no ill effects from an early-season elbow problem, posting a 2.86 ERA in five September appearances. He has been overshadowed in Seattle's talented group of pitching prospects, but Ramirez, 22, throws hard and has a strong changeup and impeccable control.

15. Jedd Gyorko, 2B, Padres: This guy can hit. That's all you really need to know about Gyorko, 24, who is blocked at third base by Chase Headley but can be an instant offensive star in San Diego's big ballpark if he can win the second-base job from Logan Forsythe. Average defense and not being on the 40-man roster could slow his arrival, but he should provide gap power in a park where matching his 30 minor league homers in 2012 will be difficult.

16. Matt Harvey, RHP, Mets: Harvey, 23, certainly was ready when he arrived in the majors during the second half of last season - holding opponents to one or no runs in half his 10 starts and striking out at least a batter an inning in seven of them. With R.A. Dickey gone, Johan Santana is the de facto ace of the staff. But Harvey is the power-pitcher prototype who can take over that role. He threw 169 innings last year - up from 135 in 2011 - and to go higher, he must reduce his often-deep pitch counts.

17. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pirates: The clamor will grow for Cole, a potential No. 1 starter who will begin this season at Class AAA. Cole, 22, made his final six starts there last year, a season that began two levels lower. He threw 132 innings in 2012, his first pro season, so there will be workload concerns. But there's no doubt about his high-90s fastball and above-average slider and changeup.

18. Hyun-Jin Ryu, LHP, Dodgers: Los Angeles' posting-fee bid was $25.7 million just to talk with Ryu, 25. Add the $36 million they'll pay him over six seasons and it's obvious the Dodgers expect him to be a solid member of the rotation. He has played in his native South Korea, so dissecting stats doesn't help in projecting his performance. He has a complete repertoire of pitches, especially a strong changeup. Like many Asian pitchers, he could be prone to fly balls in the major leagues.

19. Anthony Gose, OF, Blue Jays: Gose has an immediate advantage because of his defensive prowess and his ability to play center field, where Colby Rasmus is perhaps the most vulnerable of the Toronto outfielders. Gose has exceptional speed but a high strikeout rate. At 22, he already is ahead of the development schedule, so there's time to work on the strikeouts.

20. Jose Fernandez, RHP, Marlins: He posted some of the most eye-popping stats in all the minors while dominating at both levels of Class A last season, and he has the stuff to continue that type of performance all the way to the majors this year. Fernandez, 20, should start this season at Class AA. But Miami will be looking to create buzz around its club, and what better way than a Cuban-born pitcher with an electric fastball.